Netflix Just Disabled Phone Casting To Most TVs And Streamers, Bah Humbug!

The humble Netflix cast button has just become an unfortunate victim of what long-time subscribers are calling a tone-deaf decision. Netflix has quietly stripped the ability to send content from a mobile device to most modern televisions and streaming players, forcing millions of subscribers back to the remote control and their TV’s native application.

The change, which reportedly rolled out in late November, primarily targets the latest version of the Netflix app, newer Chromecast with Google TV, Google TV streamer boxes, and smart TVs. For ages, the convenience of using a phone as a secondary remote for browsing, queuing, and controlling playback made casting a favorite feature. Almost without warning, many user have found that they've suddenly lost the Cast functionality. Netflix customer service representatives are countering the removal as a way to "make the customer experience better." Of course, this rationale has been met with significant user ...